CONN 


43 
.E22 

no. 102 


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http://www.archive.org/details/fungicidesOOthax 


G,  E.&.  Library.  Cop.  2. 


H3 


Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 

NEW    HAVEN,    CONN. 
BULLETIN     No.     102. 

MARCH,    1890. 


The  Bulletins  and  Reports  of  this  Station  are  mailed  free  to 
every  citizen  of  Connecticut  who  applies  for  them. 


FUNGICIDES. 

By  Roland  Thaxter,  Mycologist. 

This  Bulletin  is  designed  to  call  the  attention  of  farmers  to  the 
importance  of  gaining  some  practical  knowledge  of  the  use  of 
fungicides  and  to  furnish  brief  directions  for  this  purpose.  More 
detailed  information  on  the  subject,  adapted  to  special  diseases, 
will  be  furnished  by  the  Station  on  application  ;  and,  when  prac- 
ticable, personal  attention  will  be  given  in  such  cases  if  desired. 

The  advantage  resulting  from  the  application  of  fungicides  has 
been  so  thoroughly  and  repeatedly  demonstrated  in  connection 
with  black  rot  and  mildews  of  the  grape,  that  their  use  may  be 
recommended  without  reservation  in  these  cases.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  numerous  other  similar  diseases  upon  which  experi- 
ments have  been  tried,  or  which,  from  the  known  life-history  of 
the  fungus  producing  them,  may  be  safely  assumed  to  be  suscep- 
tible to  a  like  treatment.  In  view  of  the  fact,  however,  that  the 
use  of  fungicides  is  an  innovation  in  the  agriculture  of  this  State, 


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the  Station  would  not  recommend  any  one  who  has  had  no 
previous  experience  in  the  matter  to  make  use  of  them  on  a  large 
scale  at  first;  but  to  test  their  effectiveness  for  himself,  by  a 
smaller  and  carefully  conducted  preliminary  experiment ;  so  that, 
by  making  a  direct  comparison  between  the  results  of  treatment 
and  no  treatment,  he  may  form  his  opinion  as  to  the  value  of  the 
application  from  personal  experience. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark  that  it  is  of  the  first  im- 
portance to  know  definitely,  before  making  any  such  trial,  what 
disease  is  to  be  treated,  and  application  to  the  Station  for 
information  on  the  subject  is  advised :  since  a  confusion  in  the 
mind  of  the  experimenter  between  two  somewhat  similar  dis- 
eases, like  the  black  rot  and  anthracnose  of  the  grape,  might  lead 
to  a  mere  waste  of  labor  and  material  in  carrying  out  the  treat- 
ment. It  should  be  remembered  also  that  the  application,  to  be 
effectual,  must,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  be  made  for  the  purpose 
of  prevention,  not  of  cure  ;  so  that  everything  necessary  for  the 
purpose  should  be  ready  by  the  first  of  May  or  earlier.  The 
publications  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Vegetable  Pathology, 
which  may  be  obtained  on  application  to  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  at  Washington,  and  contain  much  valuable  informa- 
tion on  the  subject,  should  also  be  consulted  in  this  connection. 

Of  the  somewhat  considerable  number  of  substances  which  have 
been  used  as  fungicides  the  two  which  may  be  most  safely  recom- 
mended for  general  use  are  the  Bordeaux  Mixture  and  the 
Ammoniacal  Carbonate  of  Copper  Solution,  the  formulas  for 
which  are  as  follows  : 

Bordeaux  Mixture. 

Sulphate  of  copper  (blue  vitriol,  blue  stone) 6  lbs. 

Quick  lime 4  lbs. 

Water 22  gals. 

Dissolve  the  sulphate  of  copper  in  two  gallons  of  hot  water  to 
hasten  the  solution,  which  is  also  facilitated  if  the  sulphate  is 
pulverized.  Dilute  this  solution  with  fourteen  gallons  of  water. 
Slake  the  lime,  which  must  be  fresh  (i.  e.  not  partly  air  slaked), 
slowly,  with  six  gallons  of  water,  stirring  the  mixture  while  so 
doing  to  a  smooth  paste.  After  this  is  slightly  cooled,  pour  it 
slowly  into  the  copper  solution,  stirring  the  whole  rapidly  at  the 
same  time. 

For  use  this  mixture  must  be  stirred  and  strained  through  fine 
brass  or  copper  gauze.     A  small  piece  of  the  latter,  tacked  over 


the  bottom  of  a  salt  or  strawberry  box,  is  sufficient  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  the  straining  is  easily  and  rapidly  done  if  the  mixture 
is  poured  slowly  upon  the  gauze  from  a  slight  elevation  (two  or 
three  feet),  which  avoids  clogging  the  meshes  of  the  strainer. 
Mixing,  etc.,  should  be  done  in  wooden  vessels,  since  the  sub- 
stances corrode  iron  or  tin. 

Ammoniacal  Carbonate  of  Copper. 

Carbonate  of  copper 3  oz. 

Commercial  ammonia  (22°) ; lqt. 

Water 22  gals. 

Add  the  ammonia  to  the  carbonate  and  when  dissolved  dilute 
to  twenty-two  gallons  with  water,  forming  a  clear  solution. 

If  these  substances  are  properly  prepared  there  need  be  no  fear 
of  any  injury  to  the  foliage  resulting  from  their  application.  The 
Bordeaux  mixture  when  applied  to  vineyards  has,  however,  the 
disadvantage  of  frequently  injuring  the  fruit  by  adhering  to  the 
berries  at  the  time  of  harvest.  Mr.  Galloway  has  suggested  that 
this  may  be  avoided  by  using  the  carbonate  of  copper  for  the 
last  or  the  last  two  applications ;  since  it  is  free  from  this  objec- 
tion. A  practical  method  of  removing  the  Bordeaux  Mixture 
from  the  clusters  has  also  been  tried  by  Dr.  Neale  at  the  Delaware 
Experiment  Station  by  treating  the  injured  clusters  with  highly 
diluted  vinegar,  two  quarts  of  vinegar  to  ten  gallons  of  water. 
By  immersing  the  clusters  in  this  solution  for  a  few  moments 
and  rinsing  twice  in  clear  water  the  stains  were  effectually  re- 
moved without  appreciable  injury  to  the  bloom  of  the  clusters,  at 
a  total  expense  of  fifty  cents  per  thousand  pounds. 

Apparatus  for  Spraying. — The  first  requisite  for  the  purpose  is 
a  force  pump  of  some  sort,  of  which  the  inner  fittings,  at  least 
must  be  of  brass,  to  avoid  rapid  corrosion  by  the  substances 
sprayed.  For  spraying,  when  it  is  to  be  done  by  one  man  with- 
out assistance,  a  good  machine,  which  combines  a  proper  force  pump 
with  a  supply  of  the  matei'ial  used,  is  the  "  Eureka  "  Sprayer  manu- 
factured by  Adam  Weaber  &  Son,  Vineland,  N.  J.,  the  reservoir 
of  which,  made  of  copper  and  furnished  with  a  strainer,  is  carried, 
knapsack  fashion,  on  the  back,  and  contains  a  pump  furnished 
with  a  large  air  chamber  which  ensures  a  perfectly  steady  stream. 
The  pump  is  worked  with  the  least  possible  labor  by  means  of  a 
lever  held  in  the  right  hand,  while  the  left  carries  a  rod  which 
directs  the  stream  from  the  nozzle  at  its  end.     The  chief  objection 


to  this  machine  is  its  expense  (|20.60  and  freight),  and  to  obviate 
this  the  cheaper  apparatus  figured  below,  has  been  devised  and 
has  been  used  with  satisfaction  during  the  past  season.  This  con- 
sists of  an  ordinary  copper  wash  boiler  of  the  smallest  size  and  a 
force  pump  of  the  "  hydronette  "  or  "  aquanette  "  pattern.  A  piece 
not  quite  large  enough  to  admit  the  hose  of  the  hydronette  is  cut 


out  from  the  edge  of  the  boiler  cover  at  e,  and  a  short  collar  of  tin 
soldered  into  it  with  a  slot  broad  enough  to  allow  the  hose  to  be 
pushed  into  it  sideways.  (This  socket  is  misdrawn  in  the  cut,  the 
broken  rim  of  the  cover  not  being  connected  vertically  with  edges 
of  the  collar  as  they  should  be.)  The  hose  when  pushed  into  the 
socket  therefore  projects  just  enough  to  be  firmly  held  against 
the  side  of  the  boiler  when  the  cover  is  shut  down.  A  couple  of 
wire  catches  may  be  necessary  to  hold  the  cover  on  firmly,  if  it  is 
not  very  tight ;  and  in  addition  the  boiler  should  be  fitted  with 
straps  as  in  the  cut,  or  in  any  other  convenient  manner  so  that  it 
can  be  carried  on  the  back  of  the  operator. 

Since  pumps  of  the  "  hydronette  "  pattern  do  not  throw  a  steady 
stream,  acting  only  when  the  piston  is  driven  back,  some  appliance 
is  necessary  to  produce  an  even,  continuous  spray.  This  is  very 
readily  provided  as  shown  by  the  cut.  A  piece  of  f -inch  heavy  but 
elastic  rubber  "tubing  ".(6) — hose  will  not  answer — is  fastened  to 
a  "  Vermorel "  nozzle  (a)  at  one  end  (x)  and  to  the  hydronette  noz- 
zle (d)  at  the  other  end  (x),  by  winding  it  tightly  with  a  few  inches 
of  small  copper  wire.  The  two  nozzles  a  and  d  are  then  connected 
by  two  heavy  copper  wires  (c)  fastened  by  winding  once  or  twice 
around  each  nozzle.  The  Vermorel  nozzle  is  thus  held  firmly  in 
place,  and,  as  the  wire  will  stand  any  amount  of  bending,  the 
direction  of  the  stream  is  easily  regulated   in   this  way.     The 


length  of  the  copper  wire  and  rubber  tubing  may  be  increased  as 
desired ;  for  spraying  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  of  low  shrubs, 
for  instance,  the  wire  being  bent  so  as  to  send  a  vertical  stream; 
but  six  inches  of  tubing  is  about  as  short  a  length  as  will  furnish 
sufficient  elasticity  for  producing  a'  steady  stream.  The  pump 
may  be  also  used  for  spraying  trees  by  using  the  necessary  length 
of  small  hose  furnished  with  a  spray  nozzle  at  one  end,  and  con- 
nected at  the  other  with  a  piece  of  rubber  tubing  long  enough  to 
allow  free  motion  to  the  piston.  The  hose  can  then  be  fastened 
to  a  light  pole  and  the  body  of  the  pump  so  fastened  to  its  base 
as  to  allow  free  movement  of  the  piston. 

The  apparatus  can  of  course  be  used  without  the  copper  boiler,  by 
carrying  the  substance  to  be  sprayed  in  a  pail  or  other  vessel ;  but 
when  liquids  are  used,  such  as  the  Bordeaux  mixture  or  Paris 
green  in  water,  which  have  to  be  kept  stirred  while  being  used, 
the  boiler  gives  far  less  trouble,  since  the  motion  of  the  body 
keeps  its  contents  stirred  up  while  in  use.  The  apparatus  has 
this  additional  advantage  that,  by  procuring  an  extra  hydronette 
nozzle  or  a  coupling  which  will  serve  to  attach  the  sprayer  as 
described,  the  spray  nozzle  and  its  adjuncts  may  be  screwed  off 
as  a  whole  when  not  in  use,  and  the  ordinary  nozzle  substituted  ; 
so  that  the  pump  may  be  also  employed  for  any  of  the  many  pur- 
poses for  which  it  is  useful.  The  cost  of  this  apparatus,  not  in- 
cluding straps  or  strainer,  is  about  as  follows : 

Copper  boiler  (No.  7) $3.25 

Hydronette  pump 4.00 

Wire  and  rubber  tubing .20 

Fittings  to  boiler 1.00 

Vermorel  nozzle 1.25 

Total $9.80 

For  spraying  on  a  larger  scale  a  stationary  pump  is  needed, 
and  by  far  the  best  for  the  pivrpose  is  a  double-acting  force  pump 
such  as  "  Gould's  Double-acting  Spraying  Pump "  (made  by 
the  Gould  Mfg.  Co.,  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.),  or  any  similarly  con- 
structed pump.  This  is  made  to  screw  on  a  barrel  or  hogs- 
head which  may  be  carried  in  a  wheelbarrow  or  cart.  The  pump 
is  furnished  with  two  couplings,  one  on  either  side,  which  may  be 
both  fitted  with  light  spraying  hose.  By  coupling  a  short  hose 
to  one,  and  turning  it  back  into  the  barrel,  the  trouble  of  stir- 
ring the  mixture  (when  this  is  necessary)  is  obviated,  if  a  single 


6 

spraying  hose  only  is  needed.  The  stirring,  however,  is  readily 
done  by  the  man  who  pumps,  by  means  of  a  short  paddle,  fast- 
ened into  the  hogshead  by  a  leather  thong. 

If  an  orchard  is  to  be  treated  it  can  be  very  rapidly  done  by 
driving  the  cart  containing  the  mixture  and  pump  between  the 
rows  and  running  a  sprayer  on  either  side.  By  using  light  hose, 
such  as  can  be  got  for  14  cts.  a  foot,  and  fastening  the  sprayer  in 
a  convenient  position  to  the  end  of  a  light  pole  of  the  necessary 
length,  to  which  the  hose  is  also  attached  for  part  of  its  length, 
the  treatment  of  large  trees  is  accomplished  with  great  ease  and 
rapidity. 

It  is  of  great  importance  to  have  a  proper  nozzle  for  spraying, 
and  if  the  mixture  is  not  a  clear  fluid,  the  "  Vermorel "  nozzle  is 
well  suited  for  the  purpose  ;  being  self-cleaning  and  producing  an 
abundant  and  almost  perfect  spray.*  For  clear  fluids  the  Nixon 
nozzle  made  by  the  Nixon  Nozzle  and  Machine  Co.,  Dayton, 
Ohio,  is  excellent ;  and  gives  a  very  fine,  direct  spray. 

In  the  treatment  of  fungus  diseases  no  general  directions  can 
be  given  which  will  apply  in  all  cases,  and  information  on  the 
subject  should  be  previously  obtained  from  some  reliable  source. 
In  general,  however,  it  may  be  said  that  treatment  should  in  the 
majority  of  cases  be  preventive  rather  than  curative,  the  applica 
tion  being  effective  only  when  made  before  the  disease  has 
appeared.  An  application  of  a  strong  fungicide  to  vines  or  trees 
during  late  winter  or  early  spring  is  often  useful  by  killing  fungus 
spores  adhering  to  them.  For  this  purpose  a  Bordeaux  mixture 
made  as  above  described,  by  using  ten  pounds  of  sulphate  of 
copper,  ten  pounds  of  lime  and  twenty-five  gallons  of  water,  may 
be  employed;  and  a  strong  (25  per  cent.)  solution  of  sulphate  of 
iron  has  been  found  of  advantage  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  apparatus  just  described  for  the  application  of  fungi- 
cides is  equally  well  adapted  to  the  use  of  insecticides.  If  Paris 
green  or  London  purple  are  to  be  used,  they  may  in  some  cases 
be  mixed  with  the  fungicide  solution  in  the  usual  proportions 
when  a  double  treatment  is    esired. 

*  A  limited  number  of  these  nozzles  will  be  furnished  on  application  to  the 
Station  at  the  wholesale  price  ($1.25  and  postage,  5  cents). 


The  following  quotations  on  materials  needed  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  and  applying  fungicides  have  been  kindly  furnished 
by  the  firms  named. 

Sulphate  of  Copper  in  original  package  of  400  lbs.,  per  lb. .06-§- 

"  in  lots  of  100  lbs.,  per  lb. .07£ 

"  per  pound  in  small  amounts .10 

Ammonia  (26°)   in   Carboy   of  80  lbs.  (For  use  dilute  with  one- 
third  its  volume  of  water  giving  22°),  per  lb .08 

"  in  small  quantities,  without  package,  per  lb .10 

Carbonate  of  Copper,  per  lb .75 

C.  B.  Whittlesey  &  Co.,  State  St.,  New  Haven. 

£  -inch  heavy  rubber  tubing,  per  foot .18 

Conant  Rubber  Co.,  26  Asylum  St.,  Hartford. 

Copper  wash  boilers,  No.  1 . 3.25 

G.  W.  Hazel,  11  Church  St.,  New  Haven. 

Aquanette  force  pump 4.00 

T.  "W.  Corbett,  280  Elm  St.,  New  Haven. 


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